Advice would put fewer Americans on blood pressure meds

Researchers suggest drugs for those age 60 and older with 150/90 readings

3:29 PM,
Dec. 18, 2013

New guidelines proposed in a new study suggest that people age 60 and older with blood pressure of at least 150/90 go on medications. Current practice is to treat those with readings of 140/90 or above.

Written by

Liz Szabo
| USA Today

Fewer older Americans would take blood pressure medications under new guidelines published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects 78 million American adults. Only about half have their blood pressure under control.

Current guidelines define high blood pressure as above 140/90 milligrams of mercury. Doctors now advise patients to take medications and make lifestyle changes - such as exercising, losing weight and consuming less salt - with the goal of getting their blood pressure under this level. ...